Relationships between Eating Behaviors and Person/Environment Interactions in College Women

Abstract

This study examined relationships between self-reported eating habits, environmental interactions occurring within the context of personal projects, and the psychosocial atmosphere of the living environments of 65 college women. Regression analyses and comparisons of selected high and low scores on the eating measures suggested that women with high (dysfunctional) eating scores had more food-related personal projects, did more projects alone, performed more projects at home, and had projects linked to a more limited range of environmental settings than did the women with low scores. They also derived less enjoyment, anticipated less success, and felt more stress and less control of their projects than the other women did. Finally, in their living environments, they perceived a strong emphasis on a traditional social orientation and on competition.